U.S. Air Force pilots graduating from training courses with the T-38 Talon may be required to fly non-fighter or bomber aircraft as a result of pilot shortages, according to a new Air Force policy. The challenges in pilot inventory were outlined in an August service memo reviewed by Defense News and confirmed by an Air Force official.

The shortage of U.S. Air Force pilots could mean that recent T-38 pilot-training graduates could be assigned to non-combat roles.

In an era of increasing pilot shortages, air force innovation is more vital than ever for better preparing jet fighter pilots and maintenance aircrews in a shorter time and at a reduced cost. What kinds of technologies are helping the US Air Force to modernise its fighter pilot training schemes?

An ongoing aviator shortage led to the move, which the service called "a significant but necessary policy change."

As a program, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – aka the Lightning II – has survived a lot of turbulence in the roughly 30 years since the Pentagon first conceived of a do-it-all stealth fighter.